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France has officially summoned US Ambassador Charles Kushner following his public accusation that the French government has failed to adequately address antisemitism in the country.
Getting into it: The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs ordered Kushner to appear after he published an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron in The Wall Street Journal, in which he criticized France’s handling of antisemitic violence and linked it to the government’s stance on Israel and Palestinian statehood. In the letter, Kushner warned that “public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France.”
He added, “In today’s world, anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism—plain and simple.” The letter, published just weeks after Kushner assumed his post in Paris, urged Macron to “enforce hate-crime laws without exception; ensure the safety of Jewish schools, synagogues, and businesses; prosecute offenders to the fullest extent; and abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.”
In response, France’s Foreign Ministry pushed back, stating that Kushner’s accusations were “unacceptable” and “firmly refuted” by the French government. The ministry stressed that French authorities are “fully mobilized” in combating antisemitism and described the ambassador’s remarks as a violation of international diplomatic norms. “They go against international law, and in particular the duty not to interfere in internal matters of states,” the ministry said, referencing the 1961 Vienna Convention.
Despite the friction, the US government has stood by Kushner. In a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the administration said, “Ambassador Kushner is our US government representative in France and is doing a great job advancing our national interests in that role.” The State Department offered no apology or retraction.
This all comes as France prepares to formally recognize a Palestinian state, a move President Emmanuel Macron announced would take place during the United Nations General Assembly in September. Macron has framed the decision as part of a broader effort to advance a “just and durable peace” in the Middle East, particularly in light of the ongoing war in Gaza.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused Macron of “fomenting antisemitism” and claimed that recognizing Palestinian statehood would “reward Hamas terror” and “embolden those who menace French Jews.”
